New Haven, Conn. - Howard University football team fell behind by three scores before putting on a furious rally that came down to one possession, but in the end, too many mistakes and missed opportunities proved to be its undoing as the Bison fell, 34-26, to Yale in the NAACP Harmony Classic before 9,200 in the Yale Bowl.
 
Howard (1-4) took the early lead on an Aaron Bickerton (Bonita Springs, Fla.) field goal and then saw the Bulldogs (2-1) reel off 21 unanswered points to take a 21-6 lead at the half.
 
Yale then scored twice more in the third quarter period to take what appeared to be an insurmountable lead, 27-6, late in the third quarter.
 
Howard then began its attempt at a comeback when it took advantage of Yale miscues and turned into two scores during a 40-second span. It reduced the margin to 27-20 with 5:02 left in the final stanza.
 
The Bulldogs dashed any hopes the Bison had when Tre Peterson scored 44 yards out to put the game away.
 
Howard tacked on the last score to end the game on a Jaylon Tolbert (Hollywood, Fla.) 18-yards hookup to Antoine Murray (Miramar, Fla.).
 
Howard won the offensive plays battle by a whopping 86-64 margin and time of possession, 34-26.
 
Senior quarterback Quinton Williams (Upper Marlboro, Md.) completed 23-of-42 for 226 yards while  freshman running back Eden James (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) led his team in rushing with 50 yards on six carries. Third-year Bison Kasey Hawthorne (Sebring, Fla.) caught seven passes for 112 yards. Senior linebacker Christian White (Highland Springs, Va.) led the defensive charge with four tackles, a sack and a forced fumble.
 
The Bison have another bye week before taking on Harvard, another Ivy League opponent, Saturday, October 15 in the second annual Truth & Service Classic at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. The game kicks off at 4 p.m.

For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.